A LONG time ago, in the fields and gardens of Europe and beyond, beekeepers observed something curious about their hives.
Worker bees would return from foraging trips and somehow convey to their hive-mates the location of flowers bursting with nectar.
But how could buzzing and movement really convey such precise information?
Verdict:
TRUE
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) do indeed communicate through dance, a behaviour famously known as the waggle dance.
To indicate the position in which the bees must move to reach the food source, the dance is performed in circular movements, with a vertical inclination indicating the angle between the direction of the nectar and that of the sun.
Scientists first documented this behaviour in the 1940s, and subsequent research has confirmed the accuracy and sophistication of the dance.
The waggle dance is influenced by factors such as the quality of the food source, the terrain, and environmental conditions like wind direction.
So, next time you see bees buzzing around flowers, remember: some are not just feeding themselves — they are teaching their sisters where to find nature’s bounty.
References:
1. Perfect Bee - The language of bees
https://www.perfectbee.com/learn-about-bees/the-science-of-bees/the-language-of-bees
2. Apicoltura Laterza - The language of bees: this is how bees communicate
https://www.apicolturalaterza.it/gb/blog/the-language-of-bees-this-is-how-bees-communicate-b74.html
3. Discovery - Scientists Have Decoded the Universal Language of Honey Bees
https://www.discovery.com/science/scientists-have-decoded-the-universal-language-of-honey-bees
